


Governess Sabé

by Crayshack



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:28:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24358825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crayshack/pseuds/Crayshack
Summary: Sabé interviews for a new job on Alderaan.
Relationships: Padmé Amidala & Sabé
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	Governess Sabé

“The Viceroy will see you now,” said the aide.

He led Sabé into an ornate chamber with polished marble walls. In it, was a heavy wooden desk where a man in simple, but refined, clothes sat. As they entered the room, he stood and walked over to greet them.

“Sabé, thank you for coming!” he said as he dismissed his aide with a nod. “I hope your trip wasn’t unpleasant?”

“It was uneventful, Your Highness,” Sabé replied.

“Good, good!” He led Sabé towards a pair of plush chairs in the corner of the room, “Please, have a seat.”

Sabé demurely took her seat across from him and waited politely for him to speak. Bail Organa was a relaxed man whom she was already acquainted with, but one did not simply dictate conversation with the ruler of a planet in his own office. After ensuring that she was comfortable, he spoke up again “Do you understand why you are here?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Sabé replied, “You wish for me to serve as a governess for your daughter.”

It wasn’t a bad choice: Sabé was a former royal handmaiden on Naboo and it was a common career move for a handmaiden to become a governess. While some of the details of how the courts were run varied from planet to planet, certain things stayed the same. It would be quite easy for any handmaiden to teach a young princess all about etiquette, no matter what planet.

The Viceroy carefully studied her for a moment before clarifying: “I want you to teach her everything you know.” His words were very deliberate and clearly meant to carry a hidden meaning. That changed matters. While it was not officially public knowledge, it was an open secret among the royal houses of the galaxy that the Royal Handmaidens of Naboo doubled as bodyguards. Many handmaidens did throughout the galaxy, but those from Naboo went above and beyond the norm, to the point that they were better trained than the official bodyguards.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Sabé continued easily, “Lessons on self defense can easily be worked into a schedule of lessons on more academic matters.”

This seems to relax the Viceroy as he leaned back in his chair and began stroking his neat goatee. Though his next words sounded relaxed, Sabé noticed the piercing gaze in his eyes, willing her to understand. “You know, I was a close friend of Queen Amidala when she served as Senator,” Bail mused. “She spoke highly of you from time to time. It is the reason I asked for you in particular.”

This statement sent a lightning bolt through Sabé’s spine. While the general useage of the handmaidens on Naboo was relatively well known, what wasn’t was that some Queens relied on their handmaidens in different ways. Queen Amidala, in particular, made use of her handmaidens as a trusted special forces squad; usually to conduct intelligence/counterintelligence operations. Sabé had been in charge of organizing counterintelligence during Amidala’s term as Senator.

So, Bail Organa wanted a counterintelligence operative in his palace. What was even more worrying, was that clearly, he thought that his own office had been bugged considering he was not willing to say so out loud. But why reach out to an acquaintance from another planet for help? Was there no one from his own court he could trust?

If the Viceroy had nothing to hide from the Empire, he might have requested one of their agents. The Empire would have been happy to provide; and Alderaan could use any spies found as proof of their loyalty. No, whatever Bail Organa was hiding, it was the Empire that he was hiding it from. But what kind of secret would leave him unwilling to trust his own people, but willing to reach out to the Emperor’s home planet for help? Sabé had no love for the Empire, but the Viceroy barely knew her. Why trust _her_?

Sabé was shaken from her train of thought by the door opening. Through the door, a tiny blur of motion with dark brown hair ran towards Bail shouting “Daddy! Daddy!” Behind the exuberant child, another girl with stark white hair followed at a more graceful and ladylike pace. “Winter and I wanted to go ride our hoverbikes. Can we?”

Bail laughed. It was an easy, heartfelt laugh, the kind that could be infectious in the right company. “Of course, my dear,” he answered, “but first, there is someone I want you to meet. This is Sabé,” he said with a wave of his hand in Sabé’s direction, “She is going to be your governess and tutor. Sabé, this is my daughter, Princess Leia Organa.”

Leia stood up straight and schooled her face into a mask of courtly grace. As she gave a quick curtsy to Sabé, the bottom fell out of Sabé’s world.

Sabé knew that expression. She had spent over a decade practicing it in the mirror every morning. It was the exact same expression that Padmé had worn whenever she was acting in an official capacity. Sabé had studied it extensively so that, when she put on the royal makeup, she could better convince any onlookers that Sabé _was_ Padmé. There was no person in the galaxy that Sabé knew better than Padmé.

Padmé, who had been a close personal friend of Bail Organa. Padmé, who had opposed everything the Empire stood for. Padmé, who had been pregnant with a Jedi’s child at the time of her death. Padmé, who had died, from what Sabé could reckon, about as long ago as Princess Leia had been alive.

It was only years of practice that helped Sabé keep her expression neutral as she watched the two girls leave the room. As she turned back to the Viceroy, he spoke softly. “I trust you can see why she is so important to me.” His tone was neutral and his word choice innocuous, but Sabé knew what he was asking: he wanted to confirm that Sabé understood why she was here.

She did understand. Sabé might not have had much of a reason to help the Royal House of Alderaan, but she had every reason in the galaxy to help the daughter of Padmé Amidala. She kept her words light, but let the tension she felt creep into her face as she replied: “She is a wonderful child, I would be happy to teach her all she needs to know.”

The Viceroy nodded sharply and summoned his aide back into the room. The two of them could not speak further on the matter, at least not for now. Sabé had her work cut out for her. She would give Leia everything Padmé would have, as a final act of service to her queen. Even if she spent the rest of her life doing so.

**Author's Note:**

> Concrit preferred.


End file.
